If a large amount of a certain material must be lathed/machined (e.g. for an axle
housing), you might consider having it friction welded instead. A simple example
involves the welding of a rod to a flange (as part of the manufacture of an axle
housing). When such a product is machined from a large block of steel, a lot of material
mass and machining time goes to waste.

Friction welding, on the other hand, is a fast and efficient process that creates
joins as strong as the steel itself. The greater the mass to be processed, the more
machinists can save in cost price and engineering time by having us friction weld
their products. The diagram on the right illustrates this.

When compared to current welding techniques, friction welding is also sustainable.
Friction welding is a sustainable method and the burden placed on the environment
during the production process is significantly lower than that of traditional welding
techniques.